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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spring — the season
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. root — of a word
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chair — a leader
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — of water
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com